Eporedia

About

The Latin name of the city was Eporedia, likely of Celtic origin. The toponym may derive from the Celtic deity Epona, specifically from the contraction of the Gaulish terms epo (related to the Ancient Greek hippos, meaning "horse") and reda ("four-wheeled cart"). This suggests that Ivrea was already a strategic road station for horse-drawn carriages accessing the Cisalpine region. Over time, the name evolved through various forms, including Yporegia, Iporeia, Ivreia, and eventually Ivrea.

Ivrea and its surroundings have been inhabited since the Neolithic era; the Celts are believed to have had a village in Ivrea from around the 5th century BC. However, the town first officially appears in history as an outpost of the Roman Republic founded in 100 BC, probably built to guard one of the traditional invasion routes into northern Italy over the Alps. Its Latin name was Eporedia.

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Ivrea became the seat of a duchy under the Lombards (6th-8th centuries). Under the Franks (9th century), Ivrea was a county capital. In the year 1001, after a period of disputes with bishop Warmund, ruler of the city, Arduin conquered the March of Ivrea. Later he became King of Italy and began a dynasty that lasted until the 11th century, when the city fell again under the bishops' sovereignty.

In the 12th century, Ivrea became a free comune, but succumbed in the first decades of the following century to the rule of Emperor Frederick II. Later, Ivrea was disputed between the bishops, the marquisate of Monferrato and the House of Savoy.

In 1356, Ivrea was acquired by Amadeus VI of Savoy. With the exception of the brief French conquest at the end of the 16th century, Ivrea remained under the House of Savoy until 1800. It was a subsidiary title of the king of Sardinia, although the only Marquis of Ivrea was Benedetto of Savoy (who later fought in the French Revolutionary wars ). On May 26, 1800, Napoleon Bonaparte entered the city along with his victorious troops, establishing control that ended in 1814 after his fall.

During the 20th century, its primary claim to fame was as the base of operations for Olivetti, a manufacturer of typewriters, mechanical calculators and, later, computers. The Olivetti company no longer has an independent existence, though its name still appears as a registered trademark on office equipment manufactured by others. In 1970, about 90,000 people, including commuters from Southern Italy, lived and worked in the Ivrea area. [ citation needed ]

The Arduino electronic platform was created at the Interaction Design Institute Ivrea, and takes its name from a bar named after the historical figure of Arduin of Italy. UNESCO, when it designated the city a World Heritage Site, said that it "expresses a modern vision of the relationship between industrial production and architecture."

Ivrea is situated at an altitude of approximately 267 meters above sea level, not far from the entrance to the Aosta Valley. It is crossed by the Dora Baltea river, a tributary of the Po, and is located in an area shaped by a large Pleistocene glacier, which over time transported numerous debris that formed a series of moraine hills, including the Serra d'Ivrea, which collectively form the Ivrea Morainic Amphitheatre.

Following the retreat of the last glaciation (around 9700 BC), the area became rich in numerous moraine lakes, which still surround the town to this day, including Lake Sirio, Lake San Michele (towards Chiaverano), Lake Pistono in Montalto Dora, Lake Nero (between Montalto Dora and Borgofranco), and Lake Campagna in Cascinette. A little farther away, there are also Lake Viverone (on the border with the province of Biella) and Lake Candia (in the lower Canavese area), along with several other small bodies of water scattered around.

A strategic road junction since ancient times, Ivrea provides access to Valchiusella to the west and the Aosta Valley to the north. To the east, roads lead to Vercelli and Milan, while to the northeast, a route connects to Biella, which is only 20 km away in a straight line and 35 km by road.

Ivrea's historic center climbs a hill leading to Ivrea Castle and the cathedral, while the modern part extends across the plain, occupying both banks of the Dora Baltea and the surrounding areas.

The climate is temperate, mild, and relatively humid. Winters are rarely harsh, with an average of 90 nights of frost per year.

The average temperature in January is 1.2 °C, while in July, it reaches 23.1 °C. The average annual precipitation amounts to 982 mm, with May being the wettest month (125 mm) and January the driest, with the least rain/snow (32 mm). This precipitation pattern defines two drier seasons, summer and winter, and two wetter seasons, spring and autumn.

Notably, in recent years, summer temperatures have consistently exceeded 35 °C during the afternoon hours in July.

The climate is temperate, mild, and relatively humid. Winters are rarely harsh, with an average of 90 nights of frost per year.

The average temperature in January is 1.2 °C, while in July, it reaches 23.1 °C. The average annual precipitation amounts to 982 mm, with May being the wettest month (125 mm) and January the driest, with the least rain/snow (32 mm). This precipitation pattern defines two drier seasons, summer and winter, and two wetter seasons, spring and autumn.

Notably, in recent years, summer temperatures have consistently exceeded 35 °C during the afternoon hours in July.

The town's population peaked in the 1970s, coinciding with the height of the Olivetti company. As of 2021, Ivrea had a population of 22,604. By December 31, 2020, foreign residents amounted to 2,046 people and made up 8.88% of the population, with the largest communities being from Romania (882 residents) and Morocco (281 residents).

Since the 15th century, Ivrea has also been home to a small yet significant Jewish community. Evidence of its history includes the 19th-century synagogue and the Jewish cemetery.

- Ivrea Castle (1357), built during the reign of Amadeus VI of Savoy. It has a quadrangular plan in brick with four round towers at the corners. In 1676, a tower, used as an ammunition store, exploded after being struck by lightning. It was never rebuilt. Once a prison, the castle today houses exhibitions.